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We are now in the season of Thanks and I am reminded how thankful I am for the support of everyone through the years. It's hard to believe, but 2011 will mark the 10th Anniversary of my first "Sandra Stillwell Presents" convention!

The privilege of organizing the Tulsa Gene Convention and many events proceeding have been highlights of my life... something that I am forever grateful for.

That being said, I have some exciting news to share with you all! Though details aren't finalized, I will confirm that I am working on a "Sandra Stillwell Presents" convention for 2011!!

I'm excited to say that San Francisco is my preferred destination! Hotel contract negotiations are progressing well, and if all goes as planned, Sandra Stillwell Presents "Golden Gate Glamour" will take place June 3-5, 2011!

I spent a short amount of time in San Francisco last year before traveling to Hong Kong, and fell in love with the city! It's easy to understand why it's widely known as "America's favorite city"!

San Francisco, famous for it's landmark Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf, Castro District, cable cars and rolling hills, 60's "hippie" culture, and colorful Victorian architecture, is also a city rich in fashion history.

In continuing with the event fashion theme and exhibition of Nashville and "Golden Age of Couture", 2011's "Golden Gate Glamour" will focus not only on San Francisco's rich fashion heritage, but also the noted couturier, Cristobal Balenciaga, whose legacy will be highlighted in a major exhibition at San Francisco's de Young Museum and the relationship between the two. The dates of convention were chosen so that we have the opportunity to view this extraordinary collection!

Due to the overwhelmingly positive response for the format of "The Golden Age of Couture", we will once again feature exclusive fashions as souvenirs, with dressed centerpiece dolls showcased at each meal function.

We had such an enjoyable experience doing things as a group in Nashville that I hope to once again include sightseeing and/or offsite functions in the convention registration. However, this is not guaranteed, as the size of our group, as well as the time factor and over all cost of transportation/tours have to be considered.

At this time, it is undecided how many registrations will be available. Keeping in mind the workable size of this year's intimate event, as well as your many requests for a convention next year, the number will depend, in large part, on the response I get.

As always, I am working to give you as much value as possible with your registration, while keeping costs reasonable. With all that San Francisco has to offer, it will be difficult to fit an entire "San Francisco experience" into a 2 1/2 day format, so I would encourage you to plan to extend your stay before and after the event for additional sightseeing.

It is extremely important that you let me know as soon as possible if you are interested in attending...and if so, if you plan to extend your stay either before or after convention. It would also be helpful to know if there is anything in particular you would like to see or do while in San Francisco!

Your feedback is crucial to know how many people to count on when planning souvenirs, meal functions, sightseeing, and in hotel negotiations.Please email or phone me directly with your feedback, questions or comments!

I hope you're as excited as I am about San Francisco!

I want to once again thank everyone who contributed to the success of 2010's "Golden Age of Couture"... both during and after the event. As reported, it was a complete sell out! I'm thrilled to say that only one of our exclusive Jamie-Show Sun doll centerpieces and a handful of London Holiday gift sets are still available!!

Finally, as thanks to all of you, I have a FREE SHIPPING offer on my blog sales page for all US orders over $150 when paid by cash or check! For those of you who haven't purchased Sun, London Holiday, or the "Adrian Collection", this is a wonderful opportunity to save some dolly dollars! There are other past convention items listed too, and new things will be added as time permits, but if there is something you don't see and are looking for, please don't hesitate to contact me!

As always, I very much appreciate your support! Without you, there would be no 10th Anniversary! Here's hoping you can join me in San Francisco for this milestone event!

While sorting through stuff today I happened upon boxes with a couple DECO DREAMS & AT THE CAPTAINS REQUEST from Hollywood Ahoy along with a few CORAL DELUXE & TAKE TWO FOR TEXAS from Lone Star Soiree! It's like finding a treasure!

I only have a very limited number of each, so if you are looking to acquire any (or all!) of these beauties, act now!

I also came across a couple Gene steamer trunks from the Queen Mary event at the Hollywood Memories Convention. These are really hard to find and coveted by collectors!

You never know what goodies I will come across so check back often for updates in my sales page!

Just a heads up, I am still offering FREE US shipping on all orders of $150 or more when paying by check or money order!! Discounted shipping for International buyers and PayPal users. This sale is for a limited time so don't delay and miss out on this opportunity to save some dolly dollars!

I have also added some new items on the sales page two. Many items from past events along with complete Integrity and AD fashions!

Quantities are limited, so please email me directly at dls6643@aol.com with your wish lists before sending payment. Check back soon as I will have some big news for you all regarding plans for 2011!

After appearing in all their spooky regalia, it appears that goblins, ghouls and witches have retired to the shadows for yet another year. Candy and goodies have been eaten, and costumes have been packed away or relegated to the give away bins.

In the doll world, Halloween weekend was a whirlwind of convention activity that will keep the season's festivities in our memories for a long time to come, for there were TWO fabulous events offering dolly treats that will not soon be forgotten!

The only drawback to all the fun happening simultaneously is that we couldn't clone ourselves to be in two places at once!

I attended the Tonner "Mysticism and Mayhem" Halloween Convention. It was a great time...no one does Halloween better than the Tonner team and their collectors! One amazing costume after another! There's always a warm, fuzzy feeling at Tonner events...and this one was no exception...even with the all the gory costumes! The best part of any convention for me is spending time with friends, and It was fun seeing friends I don't get to see often. I met some great new people, too! But I missed seeing other friends and the Integrity crew at the fabulous Fashion Royalty convention!

I had a sales table for the first time at a Tonner event and was thrilled with the reception the London Holiday gift set and the Adrian Collection received! A big thanks to everyone who bought or simply stopped by to chat or comment on the collections!

It was also my first time to visit Vermont! The drive home through the winding back roads of "The Green Mountain State" was especially lovely with it's many historical buildings and charming New England towns set amongst the backdrop of autumn's blazing glory.

The perfect ending to this fun Halloween weekend was my stopover in New Jersey to visit my dear friend, Michael Basala, and his equally dear partner, Chris. It was a treat to see their beautiful home decorated in Halloween splendor, welcoming all the little ghouls and goblins to come knocking. I surprised Michael at the door, and to my delight he greeted me with a deep "Bru ha ha" as he stepped from the shadows revealing a scary green face and costume!

Of course, a visit with Michael wouldn't be complete without a trip to New York City's fabric district! (More about plans for this new fabric soon....!)

With Brenda Starr, Daphne, and other Tonner gals dressed to model "London Holiday", we couldn't resist doing a photo shoot to demonstrate the many mix and match possibilities of this fabulous gift set! My favorite "trick" is to reverse the jacket and add the belt, giving it a completely new look! (Be sure to simply remove the tag from the inside of the jacket first!)

Tonner Hollywood Legends Joan, Bette, Ava, and the new star, Carol Barrie, just had to get in on the action by showing how stunning they look in the "Adrian Collection"!

You can see the results of our Tonner model photo session by clicking the "Photo" tab above. New original inspiration sketches have also been added to the "Adrian" page!

For those who have been waiting for the remainder of the "Sadie" black and silver sequin centerpiece fashions from the Adrian "Hollywood Ahoy!" breakfast to be delivered, I'm excited to say they have finally arrived and can be found on the "Sales" page. (Thanks for your patience!!!) There are only 2 remaining available for sale.Our star, Gene, couldn't be ignored and joined the fun modeling the much requested hatbox separates from the 10th Anniversary Decade of Dreams convention. These pictures, along with a few other items from past Gene conventions have been added to the new "Sales 2" page. New items will be added as time permits. I will also be adding my duplicate dolls. If there is a convention item or Gene doll you are looking for and DON'T see here, please ask!

Finally, I've saved the best for last! To extend the "spirit" of the season, I am offering FREE US shipping for all orders of $150 or more when paying by check or money order!! Discounted shipping for International buyers and PayPal users. No tricks... just combine items to fill up your treat bag! Like a ghost, the free shipping offer will vanish into thin air when it's ready to leave, so don't delay and miss out on this opportunity to save some dolly dollars!

One more thing... I got an email from Gigi's Doll and Sherry's Teddy Bear shop in Chicago a few days ago that they are still accepting reservations for their upcoming "World of Mel Odom" Gala event on November 20th! Mel will be at the store from 11AM-2PM to visit with those who would like to stop by (no reservations necessary) and special guest of honor at dinner afterwards. Deadline for dinner reservations is November 7th, so don't delay if you would like to join Gene fans and friends for this fun event! I hope to see some of you there!